[nylug-talk] Slim home server for samba and subversion ( and possibly IMAP)

[Alex Pilosov]

On Fri, 9 May 2008, Bryan J. Smith wrote:

> Chris Knadle wrote:
> > I had half written a post back concerning the poor GigE NAS device
> > performance.  [In practice I see limits of 14 MB/sec on an embedded
> > GigE NAS vs 40+MB/sec GigE transfer between a laptop + desktop.]
> 
> The Intel X-Scale ARM-based IXP embedded microcontrollers are often used
> without their proprietary, Network Processing Engine (NPE) firmware in
> many devices.  If they were just doing network, with the NPE, then
> they'd be okay.  But they are also doing storage and application-level
> serving.  Not good.  ;)
a) IXP is expensive, nobody puts IXP on a 200$ NAS device (with rare 
exceptions, iomega did I think)

b) ARM has enough firepower to serve out a gigabit of data, it's a 
software issue.

c) IXP won't help shit if you are serving out bits

> Chris Knadle wrote:
> > I hadn't even been aware about the USB + FireWire timeout issues
> > until you mentioned those here.  Ugh.
> 
> I solved major server downtime issues in various, separate labs (i.e.,
> couldn't be connected to IT's networks for various reasons you can
> assume ;) at a huge defense contractor by doing the simple favor of
> removing all of their external USB and FireWire devices.  ;)
Ain't that the truth.

> I was also involved with early Apple Server testing of their external
> FireWire arrays.  Although Apple wouldn't admit it at the time, they
> would later finally do what I told them to do -- admit that FireWire has
> disconnect issues.  These have yet to be completely solved.
It's a software issue.

> As far as eSATA, Seagate _refuses_ to certify (let alone include) any
> eSATA cables for their own Free Agent Pro line.  I have hit their
> support up multiple times, and each time, they fully admit they have "no
> certified cables" for them.
>
> So, until then, only SAS continues to be a viable, external storage
> technology for 24x7 connection for myself in my professional endeavors.
> For home usage, I don't attempt 24x7 with FireWire, USB and eSATA.
Now that I *will* call BS on. One has nothing to do with the other. If, on 
some platform, firewire hotplug is flaky, it doesn't mean platform is bad.